Climbing 101: A Glossary of Ascent

By Nancy Prichard

Aid Climbing Climbing by pulling or resting on gear that is either placed or fixed into the rock. This is in contrast to free climbing. Aid routes are also called "nail ups." A route which requires aid climbing is rated grade 6 (free climbing is rated grade 5, as in 5.10).

Anchor The point where a climber's rope is securely attached to the rock.

Popular Activities Near You

Pinole, CA

Barndoor A poor example of balance. When the climber loses grip with the hand and foot on one side and they fall sideways as if on a hinge of the opposite hand and foot.

Belay Use of a rope to protect a climber against a fall. A climber can be belayed by another person, or be climbing alone, using an advanced technique called a self-belay.

Belay Device A device used by the belayer which acts as the brake on the rope. Some examples are figure 8's, ATC's and GriGri's.

Bivouac A camp, or the act of camping. On a big wall, camp can be made on a natural ledge or an artificial one, generally an aluminum and nylon cotlike device called a portaledge that hangs from one or more anchors on the wall. Also called "bivy".

Bolt Literally a bolt drilled into the rock face.

Boulder A style of climbing which involves climbing only at a height the climber feels comfortable jumping to the ground.

Bucket A large hand hold. Feels as secure as a rung on a ladder.

Carabiner An oval or D-shaped link of lightweight aluminum or alloy that serves as the climber's all-purpose connector.

Chimney A wide crack that accommodates (most of) the body of the climber.

Clean The act of removing any non-fixed protection from the rock.

Crag A climbing area, usually a cliff.

Crank To pull on a hold as hard as you possibly can.

Crater To fall and hit the ground pretty hard.

Crimper A very small hold which allows only finger tips, if that.

Crux The hardest move, or series of moves, on a climb. The rating of a climb is generally that of the most difficult move.

Deadpoint A dynamic move which involves precision movement in order to catch the hold at the peak of the move before momentum waivers and gravity starts taking over.

ACTIVE.com is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators.

Frequently Asked Questions

ACTIVE Advantage is the premium membership program of ACTIVE, designed to support and encourage your active lifestyle by providing exclusive discounts on thousands of activities on ACTIVE. No matter what your passions are, it is our mission to make it cheaper and easier for you to pursue the activities you love.

The 30-day trial of the ACTIVE Advantage membership allows you to check out the program for yourself before starting a full annual membership. During this trial period you have full access to member benefits, including all ACTIVE registration discounts, access to free event entries, gear discounts and more. If you decide during the trial period that you don't want to continue the membership, just let us know. Otherwise, at the end of your 30 day trial we will extend your member benefits for a full year at the current annual membership fee.

If you sign up for the 30-day ACTIVE Advantage trial membership you'll receive full access to all member benefits during your trial period. When the 30 days of the trial are up, your benefits will automatically upgrade to the annual membership which currently costs $64.95 per year. That's less than $6 per month to enjoy the program all year round.

Members can receive discounts when registering for events on ACTIVE.com.

Simply follow the steps below to redeem your discount

Step 1: Find an event on ACTIVE and login. Use the ACTIVE directory to find an event. Click the login button in the upper right corner of the event details page. You will be re-directed to a login screen. After logging in, you will be sent back to the event details page.

Step 2: Click the "Register Now" button to sign up for the event. Complete all required registration fields and proceed to payment screen. When logged in as an Advantage member, your discount will automatically apply at the end of registration.

Step 3: Submit registration and receive discount. The discount amount will display in your shopping cart and will be deducted from your registration fees. The registration discount will vary and is excluded from some events. If the discount does not appear in your shopping cart, the event is not eligible.